Virginia Lippman Hough

is honored with a Large Paver from Marylin Werschky.

Class of 1933

My heroine, my mother, Virginia Lee Lippmann Hough can readily be described as wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, community volunteer, P.E.O., faithful friend and proud W.S.U. alumnus.

Virginia was born in Augusta, AR on December 28, 1911. Her family moved to Wichita when she was four years old. Virginia attended Wichita East High School where she graduated in 1929. During high school she was a member of National Honor Society, Student Council, Pep Club, Jr.-Sr. Chorus and was elected class Yell Leader her junior year.

Virginia loved her years at Municipal University of Wichita where she majored in music in the College of Education and graduated in the class of 1933. She was a member of the May Fete Cast in 1933 and a member of Pi Kappa Psi sorority. From her writings: "We came to college when the Municipal University of Wichita was a cluster of five buildings, in sharp contrast to the sprawling campus of today's W.S.U. The names of many of today's campus buildings honor men who were our professors." . . . . "Campus life was different in our day--a simpler time. We did not feel disadvantaged, not a bit. We had bonfires, night shirt parades, May Fetes and the Hippodrome." . . . "Graduation day 1933 was like any other day in that Depression time. There were no bells tolling, no horns blowing and no sirens screaming that about 300 of us were ready to meet and conquer the world! By investigating teacher's jobs, I found I could do as well by staying at home and working at the Farmer's and Bankers Life Insurance Company."

On June 1, 1935. Virginia was married to Claude F. Hough, Jr. of Mulvane, KS, The Houghs resided in Mulvane where Mr. Hough was cashier of the Mulvane State Bank until 1949 when the family moved to Corvallis, OR. She worked several years as Student Loan Secretary at Oregon State College and was active in a number of community organizations. Her hobbies included fishing, golf, gardening and bridge.

In 1967, the Houghs were transferred to Eugene, OR. Virginia was an active member of First United Methodist Church, Town and Country Gardeners, The Blanche Markham Guild, MidValley Senior Women's Golf Association, the Eugene Country Club, OSU Beaver Club and P.E.O.

Virginia was widowed in 1995. She was the mother of two: Col. Claude Hough III (USAF) who died of ALS in 1993 and Marylin Hough Werschky of Colorado Springs, CO, and grandmother of four and great-grandmother of two. Her sister, Mary Ford Lippmann Regier (class of 1931) resides in Westwood, MA.

Virginia was blessed with many life-long friends from her W.S.U. days--Verla Cox Cook, Betty Oliver Graham, Mary Elizabeth Hester Stephenson, Mary Jane Clampitt Shafer and Elsa Lee Solter (deceased).

Virginia loved nature, learning and music of all types throughout her life. She amazed the family by taking "line dancing" lessons at age 84. Virginia Lippmann Hough died November 7, 1997 in Eugene, OR as the result of a massive stroke. She was still game for a day of salmon fishing, loved to travel, played a mean game of bridge and a very creditable game of golf.

August 31, 1998